How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe for Women Over 50 | Lily Ella

A capsule wardrobe is a great way to get the most out of your favourite clothing items. For those who haven’t heard of the concept, it is about creating a wardrobe full of interchangeable clothing pieces that can complement one another. 

We believe that it makes for a more organised method that can help you easily assemble stylish outfits without spending hours staring into your wardrobe trying to decide what to wear.  Join us as we share our nifty little tricks on how best to build your own minimalist capsule wardrobe. 

Before we get started, we are not about to tell you to throw out the majority of your wardrobe because that is not sustainable. A capsule wardrobe doesn’t mean you need to restrict yourself to just a few tops and a couple of pairs of trousers. While some individuals find this technique works, it might not appeal to you. From our experience, building multiple capsule wardrobes, such as per season to suit the climates, has worked for us. Especially as we are the type of ladies who frequently enjoy a holiday. In our guide, we are going to talk you through creating a spring and summer capsule wardrobe, with the clever approach of layering so you can easily wear these pieces all year round!

The Basics of Capsule Clothing

Let’s start with the essentials. These are classic pieces that do not go out of style and are primarily neutral colours. However, if you want to build your wardrobe around a certain colour palette then there is flexibility to do so. Neutral colours allow you to create a variety of outfits with a smaller selection of clothes. So, we would recommend owning 1 or 2 of each of the following items listed below. 

Tops & Sweatshirts – you’ll need an assortment of long and short sleeves, as well as different styles. We like to include a range of round and high-neck tops as they can be quite versatile when mixing up your outfits. You can invest in black and white colour ways to give further flexibility, but our advice is to opt for the colours that compliment you and your personal style. 

Jeans – Similarly, we enjoy playing around with a good pair of jeans. Whether that be black, denim, white, straight-leg, high-waisted. As long as we have one or two pairs that fit comfortably, they are great for versatility. 

Classic jeans £69.95 | Carmel Top £54.95

Bags – We all know that handbags are a woman’s best friend so it is good to have options available. A clutch is the perfect accessory to an evening out, whilst a tote bag is essential for an all-day trip to town. A shoulder bag and a cross-body bag are also excellent choices for everyday outfits. Neutral colours such as black, white or cream are advisable but we personally prefer to be a bit more varied with our colour choices.

Aliana Bag £89.95 | Meryl Bag £64.95

Shoes – Allow yourself the room to have a good pair of trainers, ankle boots, sandals, evening shoes and a pair of flats. 

Coats – Here at Lily Ella, we love a reliable coat. Probably because we are based in the North East and even on the warmest of days it can be quite chilly. A warm winter coat and a light spring/summer jacket should see you through the seasons comfortably. 

Accessories – A few necklaces, a belt, a couple of pairs of earrings, summer and winter hats and scarves, and one or two pairs of sunglasses are a great way to differentiate your outfits.

Una Coat £220 | Kennedy Coat £125

Creating a Spring Capsule Wardrobe

Now that you have your classic essentials at the ready, it’s time to use these pieces as a canvas to build your outfits. Your essentials may be looking very monochrome at this point, so we highly recommend adding some colour to your seasonal capsule wardrobes. Light blue or navy are great choices for the spring, and can easily be matched with the existing white items in your wardrobe.

For the colder days, you may wish to opt for some knitwear. It can offer an extra layer of warmth and easily change an outfit. The Aran Oversized sweater is perfect for this and the colour can easily be matched with other items such as our classic jeans and a white tee for a laid-back look. 

Alternatively,  the Elderflower jumper is the perfect option if you find that the plain white tee is a little too basic for your liking. We love the scalloped detailing as it just adds a sprinkle of uniqueness to a stylish outfit.  

Aran Oversized Sweater £130 | Elderflower Jumper £74.95

The white colour makes a fantastic addition to add to your wardrobe, as you can pair it with jeans, trousers and skirts. It doesn’t have to be plain Jane all the time! Experiment with patterns and colours within your chosen palette. Since we are focusing our attention on white, we’d opt for the Louise Trousers or the Raya Skirt. Both of these would complement the Elderflower jumper and create a flattering look perfect for spring days. 

Raya Skirt £79.95 | Louise Trousers £79.95

In terms of creating a capsule wardrobe, we can now create various outfits using the Elderflower jumper as blank canvas to build upon. Our trick is to curate a colour palette and choose different styles that can be paired or layered together easily. Consider how you’ll incorporate different colours into your capsule wardrobe and try to make your items of clothing versatile enough to be paired with several pieces of clothing you already own. 

Creating a Summer Capsule Wardrobe 

We don’t know about you but summer is our favourite season. Although, it can be a little bit more difficult in terms of creating a capsule wardrobe. We suggest building on your spring staples. Try opting for more skirts and dresses for the summer season, but think about how you can wear these later on when the weather begins to get colder. We prefer to stick to a similar colour scheme to the rest of the items in our existing collection. This way, putting an outfit together can run smoothly as what we have picked out will already go well with jackets, shoes, bags and accessories. 

Dresses are the perfect summer outfit. You will need some lightweight and summery items that can easily be layered later on. The Tasha Dress and the Trudy Dress are both fab options as they are airy, light and brighten up our wardrobes. They can be worn with trainers, sandals, flats or heels depending on the occasion. All you need to think about is how you are planning on accessorising that style. We love a statement pair of earrings for an elegant look or some sunglasses to truly embrace the summer look. A jumper or cardigan can also be layered over the dress which creates the effect of a maxi-skirt and is ideal for colder days of the year. 

Tasha Dress £99.95 | Trudy Dress £99.95

We all know that the weather can be a little unpredictable in Britain and creating a mix-and-match approach to your outfits can take out the stress of putting an outfit together. You could add a pair of white trousers to help combat the heat. On very hot days you can wear the trousers with a tank top and utilise one of our cover-ups such as the Jamie Jacket. 

White Linen Mix Trousers £99.95 | Jamie Jacket £89.95

Matching sets are another option to add to your collection as you can style them together for ease or mix and match them with other clothing items that you have built into your capsule clothing collection. Spot Batik Trouser and Blouse can improve the versatility of your wardrobe. The Jessica dress can cater for special occasions, or you could opt for the Delia skirt.to provide further outfit options. 

Spot Batik Trouser £79.95 | Delia Skirt £69.95

Building Your Capsule Wardrobe With Lily Ella

Your capsule wardrobe doesn’t need to be a finished masterpiece. It will consistently evolve and change as you add and remove items of clothing from it. There are no rules when it comes to fashion, but the key to a capsule wardrobe is simplifying your choices when choosing what to wear in the morning. 

We always want to make the most out of the clothes in our wardrobe. When deciding what to wear becomes a chore, then you may be overdue a clearout. 

At Lily Ella, you’ll be able to keep your capsule wardrobe up to date through the seasons, whether you need fashionable jewellery, tops, comfortable lightweight jackets, or something else, we’ve got a varied range of beautifully made items so you can build your dream wardrobe with ease and comfort.